"A miracle?" said Bon Clay, looking at Mala.
"Nothing less," she said, turning her back on him. "And even then, it will take a tremendous one for Hiccup Haddock to survive after everything he's been through. He is in rough shape."
"You say that it will take strength and spirit to make a miracle work," said Astrid. "Well, Hiccup has got both of those and then some. If anyone can survive, it's him."
Bon Clay nodded, though clearly still looking concerned. "She's right; I know he can do this as well. That's why I'm not nervous, at the least."
"Then practice what you preach and take a deep breath," Mala suggested. "All we can do now is wait and trust in him."
Mala then took the two of them back to the stage, explaining her powers as they ate.
"I ate the Hormone-Hormone Fruit," she said. "It gave me the fabulous power to alter the hormones of anyone I see. I can change their sex, body temperature, skin colour, growth and even their emotions. I can remodel people from the inside out, like an engineer of the human body.
"Everyone you see here used my help to really kick gender in its sorry pants. Some men became women, some women became men, but all those hangups are a thing of the past. In short, those are the kinds of miracles we deal with here; I merely provide the hormones. Everyone else provides the dream."
"That explains what we saw," said Astrid.
"So you change that man from early into a woman by injecting hormones," said Bon Clay.
Bon Clay then looked around at everyone, wondering how many people she had altered. He was still shocked that a colony like this existed inside a prison.
"I still can't believe there's a place like this in the middle of a prison," said Bon Clay.
"It is hard to believe," said Astrid.
"Everyone here had the same reaction, myself included," Mala smiled. "As you are probably suspected, everyone here was once a lost prisoner like yourselves who made it here by sheer luck. Each of them has their own story. Believe it or not, there are hidden entrances to New Kama Land on every floor of Impel Down. You just have to keep an eye out for them.
"There's one on the Bloody Mountain of Needles, one in the Lair of the Wild Beasts, one in the Burning Hellfire, and there's even one in the mortuary. We use these handy passages to go wherever we want in this prison to get everything we need. A paradise hiding the bowels of hell itself; why the jailers would never believe such an absurdity.
"Even in our hiding hole, we still keep tabs on everything that's going on outside. We've got a line in one of the transponder snails, the very same ones the jailers use. That way, we know everything that goes on in this prison, and we also nab newspapers from the garbage so we can keep up with the other parts of the world. And we were totally tuning in to Hiccup Haddock's wild ride. It is not every day that we see a break-in, a breakout and all sorts of delectable nonsense. We were cheering on both you and Hiccup Haddock on."
"But it seems like this place of yours is gigantic," said Bon Clay, confused. "Where exactly are we?"
"Oh, this place wasn't always here, I assure you," Mala promised. "Some prisoner had a devil fruit power that was good for digging. They were the first to start chipping away at these caverns. They led other prisoners here a long time ago, and bit by bit, the new recruits started building this place together. To paint a picture, this paradise of ours is a bit like an ant farm made from digging tunnels through the rock. But to answer your question specifically, we are located right between Level V and Level VI."
"Whoa, hang on a minute," said Bon Clay. "Did you just say Level VI? I didn't know there was such a thing."
"Well, it's not wildly known, but I assure you it is there," said Mala. "Level VI is where the true villains are locked away. Every one of them is condemned to a lifetime sentence without parole. It is known as the Eternal Hell; exceedingly wicked crimes are often covered up by the World Government, as are incidents that would tarnish the reputation of the powers that be.
"You know, like a little rampage that took you all the way down to Level IV. It wouldn't have been so easy if you had tried that same manoeuvre a little while back. Another beast was guarding this prison not too long ago. He was Magellan's predecessor, Sal of the Rain. To size him up, he was just as strong as our current warden. Considering that Magellan spends most of his time in the toilet, Sal's twice as troublesome.
Astrid and Bon Clay's eyes widened. They both had seen Magellan in battle, and it was hard to believe that there was someone just as powerful as him.
"As strong as the warden? Is that even possible?" Bon Clay gasped.
"Security is not too shabby these days, but back when he was around, it was downright iron-tight," said Mala.
"And we needed help getting," said Astrid. "But I don't understand what happened to him?"
"Sal was sadistic; he went as far as killing prisoners on the simplest of whims," said Mala. "Eventually, Magellan cannot sit by and let his machinations continue. While he had no love for the prisoners, his main concern was the reputation of Impel Down, and if even half the things that Sal got away with reached the public, it would have tarnished the prison's reputation. The two of them fought, and Magellan won through him in the darkest corners of Level VI as a high-security risk."
"Unbelievable," said Bon Clay. "I've never heard of this; I know it happened before I got here, but still."
"Yeah, shouldn't there have been some sort of rumour going around?" Astrid frowned.
"To everyone, Sal passed away, and Magellan, the next in line, took over," said Mala. "As for the prisoners, well, all those who saw Sal's atrocities are dead, and rumours can only spread if someone is alive to speak of them."
"So the former warden is now a prisoner; now there's some irony," said Astrid.
"He's in fine company as well," said Mala. "Griselda the Grievous, the world's most dangerous woman, is down there. And Waddell the Wolf and Booth the Dunk. All these named criminals are enough to make anyone tremble with fear."
Astrid didn't recognise the names, but one gulp from Bon Clay told everything she needed to know.
"It's the worst of the worst down on Level VI," said Mala. "Half the crimes these villains committed that even the newspapers didn't dare to mention. Incidentally, Bon Clay, your former boss, is down there too, which is not surprising given that he embarrassed the World Government and the Navy."
"Mr 0!" Bon Clay gasped.
"Viggo is down there?" Astrid gasped.
"Yes, I know for a fact that back in Alabasta, the two of you were fighting over opposite sides and yet the two of you are now on the same side," said Mala.
"It's a long story," said Astrid.
"But it goes to show you that the power of friendship goes beyond boundaries," said Bon Clay as he spun around happily.
Everyone then cheered him on.
"Preach it, friend," Mala laughed. "Oh, and one of the Warlords is down there, the First Son of the Sea Jinbe."
Astrid blinked. "Jinbe?"
"Along with the one that both you and Hiccup Haddock came here to say," said Mala. "Second Division Commander of the Hairy Hooligan Pirates, the Fire Fist Ace D Portgus. I heard about it over the radio, he and your captain brothers, if I'm not mistaken."
"That's right, we broke in here to rescue him," Astrid nodded.
"It's insane that the two of you thought you could sneak in, and miraculously, you accomplished it," Mala laughed. "Though I'm afraid your plans are now dead in the water. Your captain has to save himself first, which unfortunately means that he is out of time. Fire Fist Ace is set to be executed this afternoon at 3 PM. They are going to transport him to Navy headquarters sometime this morning.
"It's already past midnight, which means Fire Fist Ace will be taken out of Impel Down in seven or eight hours tops. Hiccup Haddock's treatment is gonna take two more days to run its course, and even if he survives, he'll need another three days of recovery to restore his strength, so by the time he wakes up, it'll all be over."
"Then I'll go and rescue him myself," said Astrid.
"I will not dissuade you that course of action, but I would advise against it," said Mala. "Your chances were slim enough when you were with Hiccup Haddock, and as skilled as you are, I very much doubt you'll be able to make it to Level VI. He is not the only one who needs rest; you and Bon Clay took quite a beating. I would suggest that the two of you grab a bite to eat and then go back to bed. You can do nothing more for either Hiccup Haddock or Fire Fist Ace."
Astrid then walked away. "Sorry, but I have every intention to stay with Hiccup."
"Easy, easy," said one of the patrons. "There is no need."
"There is no hope he'll survive anyway."
"It won't do you any good."
"I don't care," she said and stormed off.
Mala merely took a sip of wine and looked at Astrid curiously.
Astrid made it to the door where Hiccup was locked inside and looked on with tears in her eyes.
"Come on, Hiccup, don't die on me," she said. "I'm not going to leave you."
Two hours passed, and everyone in the bar noticed Astrid had yet to return.
"I wonder what she is doing back there?"
"There's not much she can do, is there?"
The three of them then decided to investigate, and they saw Astrid sitting in front of the door.
"Come on, Hiccup, I know you're stronger than that!" she yelled.
"You've got to be kidding me. She has been sitting there talking to him the entire time?"
"Ridiculous, what is she going to do? Yell him back alive?"
"Come on, let's go. She'll pass out soon enough."
They then turned to leave, leaving Astrid to continue shouting at Hiccup.
Meanwhile, the guards were still searching for Astrid and Bon Clay on Level III but couldn't find any trace.
"So you're telling me you can't find two little interlopers?" Sadie yelled, whipping the Demon Beasts. "Go out there and search again!"
Another hour had passed, and Astrid still had yet to return.
"No way, I'm sure she's still back there."
"She probably fell asleep right on the ground."
"Either that or she put herself straight in a coma. She's cute, but not a lot of brainpower in that head of hers."
They then looked at one another and suddenly became rather concerned.
"I'll go and check!"
"Yeah, me too!"
"Just to be sure!"
Mala watched as they left.
They heard Hiccup's screams as they made their way down the corner.
"Sounds like Dragon is the one doing the yelling."
"You know, I bet she went to bed already. We just didn't notice when she left."
"I know you can do it!" Astrid yelled, practically out of breath.
When they heard her voice, they quickly rushed in and saw Astrid still sitting there yelling at the door.
"You can't die on me," she said, nearly dropping off.
"What does she think she's going to accomplish with this madness?"
"Hiccup…" she said.
"She's killing herself."
They then quickly rushed over to her.
"Hey, are you all right?"
"This isn't what Dragon would want."
"Come on, let's help her."
"You three, keep your hands to yourselves!" Mala ordered as she entered. "Let that girl do what she wishes."
"But she…"
"The only way that Astrid can show her support is the struggle alongside her captain," Mala explained. "Hiccup Haddock's odds aren't great, so she can help even in the slightest she has to try. And if it can't, at least he won't be alone in his final moments."
"Hiccup…" said Astrid.
"They have long since passed what we would consider the limit of human endurance of pain, but that is what it takes to create a miracle," said Mala.
"The power of friendship is so grand," said Bon Clay as he cried. "No matter what, she will not leave the side of a friend, the captain, or the man she loves."
Astrid stood up, though she was rather shaky, and slowly approached the door.
"More than 10 hours, Hiccup has been suffering, fighting against destiny and himself to reclaim his life," she said. "And if he isn't giving up…" She tripped and fell in front of the door but picked herself back up. "…then neither will I. I will keep on cheering until the bitter end!"
Everyone just looked at her, stunned.
"So please hang in there!" Astrid yelled. "You have to live, Hiccup!"
Everyone watching was in tears. They had never seen someone so devoted to a friend, and soon, they all began to join in cheering Hiccup on.
"Fight on Dragon Boy!" Bon Clay yelled.
"We believe in you!" said Mala.
Meanwhile, everyone in Impel Down went in a mad rush not only to prepare for Ace's extraction, which was around the corner, but they still failed to apprehend both Bon Clay and Astrid. To top it all off, they now had a new problem.
"Warden!" a jailer yelled, rushing into his office. "I just had some strange news from the canteen staff on Level V. It's about Dragon; he disappeared!"
"What?!" Magellan roared.
The guard had also found Hannibal tied up and gagged in one of the storage rooms on Level IV.
"Vice Warden Hannibal?"
"What in the world are you doing up there?"
Hannibal couldn't say a word since he was gagged, but he was yelling at them to get him down.
More ships were now arriving at Impel Down to escort Ace to Marineford.
Ace was still in his cell on Level VI.
"Listen, Ace," said Jinbe. "That woman, I admit I don't know anything about, but I think it's safe to assume she's pulling your leg."
"So what? You're just saying she came all the way down here just to lie to me?" Ace snapped.
The guards in front of his cell looked at him, unsure what was riling him up.
"No," said Ace, calming down. "Sorry, I know you mean well, but honestly, my brother would break in here. As smart as he is, it's just like him to jump in without thinking. He's been like that since we were kids, being reckless and making me worry about him."
Jinbe then heard the guards outside talking to one another.
"Looks like the day has finally come."
"Finally, it is right. I just hope they pull this off without a hitch."
"That goes without saying, doesn't it. Nobody wants a war in Impel Down."
"Warden Magellan will be here in any minute."
Jinbe knew they were running out of time; if Ace's brother was here to rescue him, he had better hurry up.
It is just past 7 o'clock in the morning. The entire bar is empty because everyone is outside Hiccup's changed door, cheering him on until they eventually run out of breath. Then, they saw blood pouring out of the cracks beneath the door.
"Look! Look!"
"The screams," Bon Clay gasped.
"Yes, they've stopped," said Mala, closing her eyes. Despite the excruciating treatment, I fear that silence has wronged grim tidings."
"No," said Astrid as she began to cry.
'True pity,' said Mala solemnly. 'And yet he had fought valiantly for over 20 hours.'
"Dragon Boy!" Bon Clay cried.
Everyone else began to cry as they had hoped Hiccup would survive.
Then suddenly, they heard a large bang against the door, surprising them. He happened again, this time a lot more frequently, and everyone fell silent.
They heard a massive roar coming from behind the door, and Astrid knew it belonged to Hiccup.
"He's alive!" Astrid cheered.
Everyone else then suddenly followed suit and cheered as loudly as they could.
Mala, however, was stunned. "But that can't be right. It made much more sense when he was dead; the hormone treatment hadn't even gone a day."
It had just passed 8 o'clock, and Magellan was in the toilet when Domino arrived.
"Good morning, Warden Magellan, sir," she said. "It's time for the…"
"Sorry, diarrhoea," he groaned.
"Please hurry. I'm afraid it's time for Ace D Portgas's transfer," she said.
Meanwhile, Hiccup was finally freed from his cell in New Kama and needed nourishment. Everyone was providing as much food as they could possibly find.
"Wow, he's taking in food like his stomach is made of quicksand."
"I thought this guy was tiny. Where does he put it all?"
"It's already been 30 minutes and shows no sign of stopping."
"Does he have this big of an appetite?" Bon Clay asked, looking at Astrid.
"No, he has a very small one, actually," said Astrid, rather startled herself.
"The treatment did do a toll on his body; it's not entirely surprising that he developed quite an appetite," said Mala. "I'm actually quite impressed with his vitality."
They then heard footsteps.
"He's coming out!"
Hiccup then stepped down in his hybrid form, looking absolutely exhausted.
"He doesn't look too good."
Hiccup then smiled at everyone. "I'm back! So let's go!"